Solar Ship of Cheops: detail of the ropes and wooden planks
The Solar Ship of Cheops was discovered in Giza at the foot of the Great Pyramid in 1954. The ship (43.6 m x 5.9 m wide) was part of the funerary furnishings that the king was supposed to have used in the underworld but its real function remains uncertain. It was a ritual vessel but shows clear signs of being used on the water. Its reconstruction took several years and was made from more than 1,200 pieces found inside the pit at the foot of the pyramid. These pieces included cedar planking and oars, ropes, wooden planks, and copper staples. The timber was held together exclusively by ropes and some from modern times were used for the reconstruction.
